What is good health?

The word health refers to a state of complete emotional

and physical well-being. Healthcare exists to help
people maintain this optimal state of health.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), healthcare costs
in the United States were $3.5 trillionTrusted Source in 2017.

However, despite this expenditure, people in the U.S. have a lower life

expectancy than people in other developed countries. This is due to a variety of
factors, including access to healthcare and lifestyle choices.

Good health is central to handling stress and living a longer, more active life. In this
article, we explain the meaning of good health, the types of health a person needs to
consider, and how to preserve good health.

What is health?
Share on Pinterest Regular exercise contributes to good health.

In 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO)Trusted Source defined health with a

phrase that modern authorities still apply.

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely
the absence of disease or infirmity.”
In 1986, the WHOTrusted Source made further clarifications:

“A resource for everyday life, not the objective of living. Health is a positive concept
emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities.”

This means that health is a resource to support an individual’s function in wider

society, rather than an end in itself. A healthful lifestyle provides the means to lead a
full life with meaning and purpose.

In 2009, researchers publishing inThe LancetTrusted Source defined health as the

ability of a body to adapt to new threats and infirmities.

They base this definition on the idea that the past few decades have seen modern
science take significant strides in the awareness of diseases by understanding how
they work, discovering new ways to slow or stop them, and acknowledging that an
absence of pathology may not be possible.

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Types
Mental and physical health are probably the two most frequently discussed types of
health.

Spiritual, emotional, and financial health also contribute to overall health. Medical
experts have linked these to lower stress levels and improved mental and physical
well-being.